Michael Stickings

Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserva 2012

April 2015 addendum: Very fresh at the outset, with vibrant dark berries and loads of vanilla, before settling into a flat staleness mid-palate. Quite acidic, with gritty tannins. Decent, and still a good value, but nothing great.

Review from August 2014: Basic Malbec, but still quite enjoyable; medium- to full-bodied with a deep purple, almost black colour, with murky aromas of violet, cassis, and other purple and black fruit, propelled by hefty oakiness; somewhat nondescript beyond the basics, lacking definition and distinction, but solid given its youth and certainly good value overall.

Corino Dolcetto D'alba 2013, Doc

Fresh and tangy yet also quite tannic, as expected, this interesting young Dolcetto opens with notes of ash and tobacco before settling in with dark red and purple fruit like plum and raspberry, along with earth and licorice, redcurrant, and a curious dairy/lactic touch accenting the background and adding to the overall complexity. This is a very acidic wine, with a perception of sweetness amidst the dryness and bitterness emerging on the finish, but the length is excellent and the elements are admirably balanced even if the acidity can be a bit much.

Tenuta Del Portale Starsa 2012, Igt Basilicata

This is simply delicious, delivering everything you could ever want from the Aglianico grape, showcased on its own. It's rough and rustic but also immensely complex, maintaining a delicate balance of dried (prune, raisin) and tart (cranberry, raspberry, pomegranate) fruit, complemented with leather, black pepper, and funky earthy-meaty notes reminiscent of French Syrah, as well as a hint of smokiness. It softens after a day, the fruit rounder, plum and dark ripe cherry, but the depth remains. Very nicely done and a fabulous value, if just lacking the length and profundity for a 90.

Oro De Castilla Verdejo 2014, Do Rueda

A fabulous value, this delicious Verdejo comes across initially like a mild (but still substantial) Sauvignon Blanc, that is, without the prickly sharpness of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, given its tropical, summery aromas of passion fruit, nettle, and fresh green herbs. But there is nice depth and complexity too. The cool, clean, crisp freshness (stainless steel, not oak) is accented with a slight buttery note that adds richness (balancing the acidity), while pear/apple and apricot/peach notes, along with a touch of grapefruit pith on the finish, add extensive fruit flavour. Nicely done.

Vale Do Bomfim 2013, Doc Douro

Yet another astonishingly good value from Portugal, this Port-varietal blend has a sexy nose of ripe dark berries, sugared plums, new leather, rocky minerality, and bitter herbs, with berry tartness on the palate cutting through the richness. The nose is actually quite impressive, with the various savoury elements adding complexity, but the flavours don't match the aromas and thin out into a flat, somewhat bitter stream, and while overall it's nicely structured, pillowy but with muscular fortitude, the texture does turn rough and chalky. But for this price and with that nose? Impressive.

Luis Felipe Edwards Reserva Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

There's a lot of wine here for the money, a solid, uncomplicated Syrah-Cab blend bringing notes of cassis, raisin, blackberry, mint, and black pepper, with unobtrusive meaty notes lurking in the background. On the palate, it's rough and gritty on the one hand but fresh and vibrant on the other, and the mouth-watering, red-berry acidity suggests its raw youthfulness is just the beginning. Super value, but it certainly stands on its own merits.

Jané Ventura Reserva De La Musica Brut Nature 2010, Do Cava

This Cava from Lower Penedès is low on fruit, but there's abundant lemon and apple, the former providing tartness, the latter providing richness. But the focus is on the savoury elements, grass, herbs, and raw nuts but more notably olives, the brine leading to a distinctly salty, brilliantly food-friendly finish. This is so vivacious and refreshing, powerful, with small but aggressive bubbles, yet also restrained and refined. It could use more fruit to balance the rest, but this is impressive Cava at a great price. (First bottle: 89. Second, with less fruit and too much briny caper: 87.)

Terredora Falanghina 2014, Igt Campania

This is what I love about Italian whites: an obscure, local, distinctive grape, subtle and restrained, nutty but sufficiently fruity, bitter but sufficiently sweet, immensely food-friendly, great value. Not much depth or intensity, but there's a lot going on with notes of almond, hazelnut, orange, lemon, and citrus pith and zest, with mild minerality and an emerging touch of tropical fruit, mostly pineapple. It has its limitations, including a bit too much bitterness on the finish and a sense of excessive oxidation by the second day, but it's quite impressive without being showy in any way.

Fontanafredda Gavi Di Gavi 2014, Docg

This is quite basic but also very good, a delicate and restrained but also refreshing Gavi di Gavi that speaks well of its origins. It's food-friendly, of course, led by tart, palate-cleansing lemon, but it exhibits ripe apple, pear, and almond as well, with citrus zest and pith adding additional tartness and, on the finish, complementary bitterness. There isn't much depth or length, and there's some chalkiness towards the end, but it's an easy sipper with a nice combination of flavour and acidity.

Lungarotti Rubesco Sangiovese/Colorino 2012, Doc Rosso Di Torgiano

Here's a fine blend of Sangiovese (90%) and Colorino (10%) that works better with food than it does on its own. It offers earthy and dusty notes behind tart, lean cherry, raspberry, and cranberry, with a touch of brown spice and a nice iron/mineral streak that I associate so much with Italian reds. There just isn't all that much depth to it, and it fades away far too quickly once the tartness refreshes the palate. Perhaps it could have used some Canaiolo, which was included in previous vintages, to provide softer fruit and better balance, but, as it is, it works well enough.